Toxic Love
by TheShipsterQueen
Summary: "Goodness knows I need a man in my life. I've been looking for my soul mate for quite some time now,"—her wrinkles and greying hair did a good job proving her point—"but all to no avail. I wonder if you could be him?" Ms Smirt made an attempt at a seductive smile.


Ms Smirt colored as the blond young man got on the bus—she even went as far as placing a skinny, wrinkled hand over her heart and giving a small, yet very audible sigh as he got in the seat opposite hers. He very pointedly ignored it, and switched on his Walkman.

Ms Smirt now sneaked an adoring look at him, then quickly resumed reading her novel.

"Handsome bloke, isn't he?" the thirteen year old beside her winked knowingly.

"Zip it, Andy." However, Ms Smirt did not give the boy one of her trademark pinches, as they were in public, and she knew very well that he would immediately start kicking up a huge fuss instead of suffering silently like her previous victims. She did not feel like being humiliated at the moment.

"It's Alonzo," the boy sighed, then smirked as he noticed a gold wedding ring on the man's finger. Things would get _very_ interesting when she started hitting on him openly later. Alonzo drummed his fingers on the cold, grimy window and his sister, Giselle, grinned. She whispered something to her brother Ryan, who sat beside her in front of Alonzo and Ms Smirt's seat, and he made a face. Ryan drummed his fingers back— _like anyone sane would date an old crank like her._

"Oh, you Anderson triplets will be the death of me!" Ms Smirt hissed, annoyed by the fact that the man was paying no attention to her. "Stop making that noise immediately!"

None of the siblings could be bothered explaining it was Morse Code, something they had pick up from a previous war-crazy foster father—or, General, as he made them call him.

Ms Smirt, frustrated by the man's coyness and his playing hard-to-get, decided to up her game.  
"Hello, handsome!" she purred. On her face was a disgustingly sweet smile that was pitifully unnatural.

Giselle frowned; the case worker was acting most unlike herself at the moment. She was not usually this forward when flirting.

Perhaps, Giselle speculated, Ms Smirt had accidentally eaten some Orphanage dinner last night. After all, she _was_ sending them to a nonexistent family on their mother's side.

Or maybe the man was just really hot.

Meanwhile, the blond looked around, wondering if the middle aged woman was addressing him. Ms Smirt had his attention at last. He shifted uncomfortably, but pretended not to hear. Unfortunately, she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"What's your name, gorgeous?"

He flushed and stammered something in a small voice.

"What's that? I didn't quite hear you." Ms Smirt's heart just about melted. He was so cute when flustered!

Alonzo and Giselle grinned. That woman was making a complete fool of herself! Ryan's face burned, as though he was the victim instead of the bystander. Honestly, their temporary guardian had no shame, doing this disgusting… flirty thing… in front of children! People would surely know that the triplets were travelling with her—most might even assume they were related! He buried his face in his hands and felt very sympathetic for the embarrassed young man.

"I'm Henry Grimm, ma'am…"

"Ma'am is for old ladies. You may call me Minerva."

'Henry' politely did not point out she was an old lady.

"Anyway, Henry… oh, I just love that name. It's so _masculine_ and _manly_ and goodness knows I need a man in my life. I've been looking for my soul mate for quite some time now,"—her wrinkles and greying hair did a good job proving her point—"but all to no avail. I wonder if you could be him?"

Giselle and Alonzo were now struggling to withhold their laughter. They knew that 'searching for my soul mate', in Smirt speak, meant 'molesting and proposing to every legible (and sometimes illegible) man that crosses my path'. The fact that Ms Smirt was practically reading her speech out of her romance novel made it even harder to suppress their giggles. Ryan cringed and face palmed. The small child at the back and her mother were barely concealing their stares! The bus driver was also listening attentively to the conversation, looking extremely amused. The shame!

"Ma'am…"

"It's Minerva, darling. Are you single? These aren't my children, you know. I'm a care worker, taking them to their aunt's family. I'll be rid of them by three. Are you free this afternoon?"

"Ma'am… Minerva, I'm married. I have children."

Ms Smirt was crestfallen. Ryan wondered how she could have not expected that. She looked so pitiful, he would have almost felt sorry for her if it weren't for the fact that he knew she would take this out on the siblings later.

Henry looked incredibly relieved when the bus came to a stop. Picking up his briefcase, he quickly got up and left the awkward scene. Everyone was just as thankful as he.

Ryan watched wistfully when he noticed that a small family was waiting for the man. He was greeted enthusiastically by a pretty, brown-haired woman with a large, swollen belly and a small blonde of about four or five. They embraced on the sidewalk.

Suddenly, just as the bus was leaving, a large, dark, muscular man in his forties with tattoos swirling up and down his thick arms and neck charged towards the stop.

"Wait!" he yelled, waving his arms. "Stop!"  
The bus stopped just in time, and he clambered on, gasping for breath. A helmet dangled from his hand. "Thanks, mate!" he grinned at the driver.

"So polite…" Ms Smirt murmured; all thought of the blond young man banished from her mind.

The man dropped heavily into the seat Henry had previously been sitting in- the one opposite Ms Smirt and Alonzo's.

Ms Smirt placed a wrinkled, skinny hand over her heart and gave a small, yet very audible sigh.


End file.
